Belgian liberal MEP Philippe De Backer optimistic about Europe’s future, despite atmosphere of crisis

“People realise that only a stronger European Union can solve the problems we face today”

Philippe De Backer, 37, is one of the younger members of the European Parliament (MEP). As a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), the group led by Guy Verhofstadt, De Backer is a part of the most pro-European integration party in the Parliament. Europe HOpes on 8 December had a talk with the Belgian MEP in his office in the Altiero Spinelli building of the European Parliament in Brussels. A conversation about frustrations, hopes and a Christmas wish for the European Parliament.

Interview by Rick Van Assel

It does not happen very often that a PhD in biotechnology ends up being a member of the European Parliament (MEP). However, for Philippe De Backer this is the case. Fascinated by science, he started his academic career studying biotechnology at Ghent University in Belgium, while at the same time he became politically active. De Backer was a student’s representative at Ghent University and during his PhD he became president of the youth wing of Open VLD, a Belgian liberal political party known for its pro-European integration stance. Thus, a biotechnologist in the European Parliament (EP) does not seem so strange after all. “As a scientist, I was in contact with universities from different European countries when I was participating in a European research project. So I was aware of the scientific and economic opportunities that the European Union could offer. At the same time, I saw the political difficulties of the EU, that was in the process of its first big enlargement round. Those two factors combined have made me want to become politically active on a European level”, Philippe De Backer reveals. After completing his PhD, he started working for an investment fund specialized in health care for a few years. But in 2011, De Backer’s life drastically changed when he entered the European Parliament, replacing an Open VLD MEP that retired. Four years later, a combative and resolute De Backer has high hopes for the European Union’s (EU) future. “The EU is in crisis. Things are going bad on more than one issue. But at the same time I am optimistic. A big part of the European population realises that a strong European Union is necessary to tackle problems such as climate change, terror and migration. You do not think that a region as Flanders, or large countries as Germany and France, can solve these issues on their own? However, therefore the European Union needs to be given the instruments, so that we can implement strong policies.”

The turnout for the European elections has been decreasing ever since the first election. In 1979 62% of European citizens showed up, whereas in 2014 a small 43% turned to vote. At the same time the European Parliament has become an important co-legislator. How do you explain this paradoxical evolution?PHILIPPE DE BACKER: “I think that people are disappointed, because they expected more from the European integration project. We have promised economic stability and growth, but the EU has not delivered on these fronts. There are many explanations for these problems, but the main reason lies in the fact that the EU is an unfinished project. Europe lacks the necessary instruments to achieve such ambitious goals. It is still too dependent on the goodwill of the member states. So I do understand the disillusion of people. However, people do not see the advantages of the European Union anymore either. They do not realise how easy it is to cross boarders without passports or to be able to pay with a single currency.”

Education might also play an important role. Do you remember if you had any classes on European integration during your time in secondary school?

European Left Parties against the rise of extreme right

Author: Giulia Semeghini


The time in which the speeches of the Nazi and Fascist parties were given publicly or in parliaments is historically far. However, more and more often it is now possible to hear some ideas that have very much in common to the ones declared during that time, even in some parliamentary events.

In fact, as recently shown by the rise of Marine Le Pen and the National Front in France, political parties belonging to the extreme right are experiencing a new period of growth by gaining ground on the fears and problems emerging in Europe from the ongoing refugee crisis and the latest terrorist attacks.

A confirmation of this trend can be found also in the fact that after the European elections in 2014, 9 parties affiliated to extreme right have found a seat in the European Parliament. Among them, there are the Nation Democratic Party (Germany), the Golden Dawn (Greece), the Finns Party (Finland), the Danish People's Party, the Party for Freedom (Netherlands), Jobbik (Hungary), the Freedom Party of Austria, Lega Nord (Italy) and, of course, the National Front (France).

In view of this considerations, on the 8th of December 2015 the Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) organized a conference to discuss about possible strategies against the rise of extreme right in Europe. The conference was held at the European Parliament and various politics and representatives of European left parties and other organizations were invited to come up with new ideas and propositions on the topic.

Medium term prospects for EU dairy sector

Author: Laura Nobel

Brussels, 2 dicember - The DG Agriculture and Rural development of the European Commission held a two day conference on the first and second of December containing topics about the new developments in the agriculture sector, including a discussion on the prospects of the European dairy sector.

With the milk quota abolished spring 2015, the EU supplies production growth and wishes to gain market shares on the world market. Growth is estimated on 15 megatonne in 10 years.

The questions raised during the discussion were about export, value of the product and how to deal with volatility. The first point raised was the increase of milk production in all EU member states. Farmers are allowed to produce as much milk as they see fit, which creates more opportunity for export outside the European Union (EU). Currently, New Zealand is on top in the export market for dairy products. The United States follows closely behind. This is a great competitive world market the EU wishes to join in on. With higher production, the EU won’t be able to absorb the entire internal dairy market and therefore makes export a commodity. New Zealand has its benefits of cheap production costs, which means they are also able to sell their products easily on the world market.

The prices and costs for production of agricultural products does not have a fixed price and has many factors at play for the increase or decrease of one another. This is also called volatility. The EU has a low volatility percentage of 9%, while in the US it remains on 15% and in New Zealand 21%. When expanding trade outside of the EU, it is inevitable that the volatility of the milk price will increase. The question is whether farmers and other stakeholders in the supply chain are able to cope with it.

Peacebuilding in the MENA region and the necessity of a new EU’s leading role

author: Giulia Semeghini

A common denominator from worldwide news reports is the situation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region which appears totally un-resolved and highly problematic. The war in Syria, the last year Gaza's crisis, the threaten Tunisia's stability and the migration and refugees emergency are just few examples that demonstrate the fragility and critical situation of the region. This awareness leads to the conclusion that the European foreign policy instruments were not so effective and even failed many of their purposes. In this context the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) plays a key role.

Since its conception in 2003, this policy should have been a relevant part of the EU Foreign Policy in the Middle East and North Africa region, with the aim of improving democracy, human rights, sustainable development and economic integration with all the partner countries of the Action Plan. Due to the necessity to reformulate this European approach, on the 17th of November 2015 it took place at the European Parliament a round table to start a discussion on the EU role as a peace promoter in the MENA region.

Organized by the non-governmental actors EuroMed Non-Governmental Platform, Arab NGO Network for Development and SOLIDAR, who have monitored the implementation of the ENP during the last years, the debate was focused in particular on the consideration of a comprehensive EU approach to peacebuilding and State-building including the promotion of human rights and security. “What can the EU do to concretely promote human security?”, “How can the EU work with local, regional and international actors to advance peace in the region?”; these are just some of the questions that started this debate.

"Tutte le misure necessarie...": la risposta ONU all’ISIS

autore: Martina Lima

 

20.11.15 - Gli attentati di Parigi hanno reso evidente l'inadeguatezza della politica di Sicurezza e Difesa a livello dell'Unione e soprattutto come vi sia la necessità di un’azione congiunta da parte degli stessi.

Ma anche a livello internazionale qualche giorno fa, il Consiglio di Sicurezza delle Nazioni Unite si è riunito al palazzo di vetro di New York per decidere come affrontare il problema ISIS.

In particolare, è stato riportato dai giornali, che il Consiglio, su proposta dalla Francia, il paese che ad oggi è stato il più colpito dal terrorismo nell'ultimo anno, all’unanimità, ha deciso di accordare ai Paesi membri l’utilizzo di ogni misura necessaria per sconfiggere la minaccia dell’integralismo musulmano e dei “foreign fighters”.

L’ambasciatore francese, nel presentare la domanda, così ha dichiarato: “Quello dell’Isis è stato un atto di guerra nei confronti della Francia, lo Stato Islamico però non ha attaccato solo la Francia, ma tutto il mondo”.

Integrazione contro integralismo: Sappiamo già chi deve avere la meglio

autore: Giusi Bivona

Bruxelles, 22 novembre 2014 - Da anni si sente parlare di integrazione, di convivenza pacifica, di unione di popoli di diverse etnie, culture e religioni, una unione tanto cercata ed auspicata su più livelli, sia a livello sociale sia a livello politico ed istituzionale.

A livello internazionale, e in particolar modo a livello europeo, i legislatori nazionali hanno cercato di adottare leggi e provvedimenti al fine di garantire quella coesione tanto desiderata quanto dovuta, essendo i Paesi ormai un crogiuolo di popoli di diverse culture, che più o meno spontaneamente si ritrovano a convivere in un Paese, anche solo semplicemente per cercare un’occupazione.

A livello europeo, le maggiori istituzioni di Bruxelles hanno cercato negli anni di pubblicizzare e “divulgare” tra i paesi membri dell’UE gli strumenti e i mezzi idonei a combattere qualsiasi forma di razzismo, cercando di creare un grande calderone in cui possano convivere culture diverse, che vivano e si arricchiscano con e attraverso la diversità. A colpi di sentenze poi, la Corte europea dei diritti dell’uomo ha costantemente cercato di sanzionare le diverse forme di violazione del principio di parità tra gli uomini, emettendo pesanti sanzioni per i cinquantadue paesi membri del Consiglio d’Europa che non avessero adeguato il proprio ordinamento interno al multiculturalismo ed all’integrazione.

Soil protection for a sustainable future.

Author: Tommaso Leso

Does soil matter? As 2015 has been chosen by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as the International Year of Soils, we can confidently say yes, it does. The main goal of this initiative, according to the organisation, is to “raise full awareness among civil society and decision makers about the profound importance of soil for human life”. 
Working on these premises, the Green/European Free Alliance political group at the European Parliament has organised a public conference entitled “Why Soil Matters? A European Perspective” on Wednesday, 18 November 2015. One of the aims of the conference was to bring the issue back on the European political agenda after the failure of last year, when the proposal for a Soil Framework Directive, which would have provided binding legal protection to soil through instruments such as a mandatory soil status report to be provided by landowners wanting to sell land, was withdrawn by the European Commission. 
It is still too early to judge if the organisers succeeded in securing this goal. As one should expect from an event organised and promoted by the Green/EFA group, the presence of an ideological drive behind the various panels is noticeable: this, however, does nothing to detract from their significance and interest, and I personally learned a lot about soil, its importance and the intertwined environmental, economic and political interests around it.
The absence of the keynote speaker, environmental activist and writer Vandana Shiva, was in no way detrimental to the overall quality of the event. She was replaced by Olivier de Schutter, former (2008-2014) United Nations special rapporteur on the right to food, who offered a very informative and passionate speech on agroecology, describing its advantages over the current dominant approaches to agriculture and offering suggestions on how to overcome the heavy resistance that corporations and political institutions oppose to its dissemination. 

Microfinance in the EU: an instrument to fight the economic crisis

Author: Matteo Placidini

 

 

On 10^th November 2015, the Employment committee of the European Parliament adopted with a large consensus a report on the implementation of the European Progress Microfinance facility. Commenting the decision, the report author Sven Schulze, a German member of the European People’s Party, said: “The instrument works as a whole, but unfortunately sufficient funding is not always guaranteed. The European Commission must therefore find a solution quickly in order to make Progress Microfinance even better in the future." The instrument is working effectively but it needs some improvements to reach higher results. As the Employment committee added, the grant of money should be combined with other supporting actions, such as the assistance to create effective business plans and with bookeeping.

The programme is funded by the EU and the European Investment Bank and has the objective to increase the availability of loans - below € 25.000 - to start or develop small business. The mechanism is based on giving a total guarantee of € 200 millions to banks and financial institutions so as to obtain more loans and better conditions for borrowers.

Refugee crisis and job are centrals in the EU budget 2016: will it be enough?

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/plenary/en/home.html

Author: Matteo Placidini

If we should prepare a list of the most critical issues Europe is currently living, we should certainly put on the first position unemployment  and the refugee crisis.  We could say that the EU is tackling these problems on two different fronts: the first one is internal, namely the economic crisis, and hits particularly young citizens and small-medium enterprises. The second one is external, since European countries must cope with a huge number of migrants coming from outside their borders.

This context requires a quick response and Europe needs a change of gear of its policies on these topics and, consequently, more significant investments.

Indeed, the EP must have taken in strong consideration these two issues in the last plenary session. As a matter of fact, the EU budget for 2016, approved on 25 November 2015, provides relevant changes.

Concerning the refugee crisis, the European budget has more than doubled, increasing from 658 million Euros in 2015 to 1,6 billion Euros in 2016. Furthermore, an amendment invites the member states to invest 2,3 billion Euros to finance the Africa Trust Fund and the Syria Trust Fund, two important instruments to tackle the problem at its origin.

Sustainable energy transition: employment threat or opportunity?

author: Rick Van Assel

Brussels, november 25 - The European think tank "Confrontations Europe" held a debate Wednesday the 25^th of November on the transition to a greener economy, a great challenge for our future. The European Economic and Social Committee’s (EESC) Jacques Delors building hosted several stakeholders, including EESC’s president and a representative of the European Commission. They discussed the possibility of a disruptive impact on employment of moving to a low-carbon economy.

The transition of a fossil fuel dominated economy to a more environmentally friendly energy mix has been raising a lot of attention the last year. A cleaner economy should contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, thus keeping the danger of global warming under control. In the first week of December, more than 190 countries are gathering in Paris where they hope to come to a legally binding agreement that keeps global warming below the critical 2°C. This will have, without a doubt, consequences for the European industry and economy.

The European Commission has already taken its responsibility and launched the EU2030 energy strategy one year ago. This framework includes three EU-wide targets: reducing greenhouse gas emissions with 40% (compared with 1990), at least 27% of energy consumption should come from renewables and there should be a reduction of energy use with at least 27%. “The perspective of the Commission is driven by three objectives. We want more energy security, a more competitive energy sector and a more sustainable energy system”, said Marten Westrup, team leader at the Directorate-General Energy (the European equivalent of a national ministry of energy) of the European Commission.

Iratxe García Pérez urges for a European effort against gender violence

Author: Maria Dominguez Hervas

Brussels, november 25 - During the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, on November 25^th, Iratxe García Pérez, chair of the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee (FEMM), and Dimitrios Papadimoulis, the Vice-president of the European Parliament responsible for gender equality and diversity agreed on the fact that Europe has still a long way to go before ending with cruelty against women. During the conference on the elimination of violence against women organized in Strasburg by the FEMM committee, Pérez García urged EU institutions and Member States to commit and to take measures at European level in order to prevent the violation of women’s rights.

Even nowadays, 25 years after the United Nations launched the International Day of the elimination of Violence against women, “machismo kills.” The chair of the FEMM committee, Iratxe García Pérez, highlighted during the International Conference held the 25^th November in Strasburg that half of the world’s population is vulnerable face to an unequal society that still tolerates macho violence in its diverse forms. According to the 2014 report issued by the Agency of Fundamental Rights, at least 9 million women living in the 28 member states have suffered physical, sexual or psychological violence at work, at home or in the public space. For García Pérez, this is an extensive human rights violation that the EU institutions must not overlook. Greater efforts at European level must be made in order to end with “one of the largest social plagues that exists in the world at this moment.”

The Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee, claims for the need of a European Directive to guide member states’ legislation to prevent the violation of women’s fundamental rights. However, the European Commission excuses the lack of a concrete strategy against gender violence arguing that Europe has not competences to legislate on this topic.

In order to elaborate a European strategy against gender violence, García Pérez states, it is fundamental to establish common standards to recognize and act upon gender violence. At present, the Treaty of the European Union contemplates two terms: “victims of trafficking” and “victims of sexual violence,” but it does not include the more global notion of “victims of gender violence”. For Iratxe García Pérez this lack of wording hides the reality of millions of women and girls around the world who suffer diverse abuses for the mere fact of being women. García Pérez recommends, thus, including the notion of “victims of gender violence” in order for Europe to impulse member states’ actions to prevent this human rights’ violation.

The EU turns orange for the Elimination of violence against women

Author: Hanne Van De Ven

On 25 November the European Parliament building in Strasbourg lit up orange to show support for United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. While the building shined bright on the outside, a heated debate went on within. The facts do not lie: one in third of the European women have faced physical or sexual violence, or both, and every day seven women are killed by gender-based violence in the EU. In presence of Věra Jourová, the Commissioner of Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, the European Parliamentary Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) expressed the need for change.

Article 8 of the Lisbon Treaty addresses the equality between men and women in the EU. According to the Treaty, all Member States should take all necessary steps to fight domestic violence and support the victims. However not all Member States have introduced effective laws protecting women against violence. In some countries, a formal complaint must be submitted by the victim before legal action can be taken. This is inefficient as most crimes go unreported because the victims feel afraid or ashamed. For this reason, Iratxe García Pérez of the FEMM called on the Commission, the Parliament and the Council to give the EU the power to combat gender-based violence, by introducing legislation for all Member States.

The cultural constraints of women’s rights on the pacific islands

Author: Laura Nobel 

Brussels, 22.11.2015  - A year-long research conducted by a team of anthropologists, lawyers and a filmmaker sheds new light into the complexity of gender equality among societies in 10 pacific islands such as Fiji, Solomon, federated state of Micronesia and Samoa.  The presentation was held on November 20 at the European Commission.

The topic of human rights and gender equality is an important topic within the European framework and is funded to obtain equality on a global scale.  Gender inequality seems to be inevitable in societies bound by the roles in which each gender is expected to behave. This puts women in a state of gender objectification and limits their chances of a future beyond that. To stress the current situation of gender inequality, the research showed that in one of the villages interviewed, 9 out of 12 women is or has been beaten by their husband. 8 out of those 9 women justify their husband’s action and felt it is what they deserved. 

Cultural values in the researched societies complicate the discussion for gender equality. Although these points cite inequality that one would conclude from an uncivil society; this is not the case. Respect, mutuality, social harmony and kindness are values well established in these regions. There is a weak understanding of gender and the fluency of its roles, which is the main cause of the inequalities established. A married woman’s status is defined by that of her husband.

We, the Young European, are not afraid.

Author: Gabriella Arcifa

Brussels, November 21th - We, the young Europeans, didn't really know the war until late this autumn, autumn that looks already like winter. It is a different war from the ones we studied in the history books, It is the War of Terror.  Brussels on November 21, at our wake up, under the first snow flakes, we heard that the city is controlled by police and manned by soldier patrols. They are searching for terrorists. This people, young people like us, between 20 and 30 years, were born and educated in Europe, just like us. The media says that in Molenbeek the searches are still continuing and the houses are rounded up one by one.  Many people were arrested, others are underway. A small arsenal of weapons, including chemical was founded. And now, while we are reading news from the Belgian National Crisis Centre, it is worth remembering that we are here in Bruxelles "pour l'Europe unie" and that we are not at all discouraged!  Coming from different European cities, we started on November 12, our project "Be Ready 4 EU", organized by the Association Europe HOpes. We are 10 young European citizens, interested in understanding the European Union functioning and inform the European citizens about how and if an integration among different national states is indeed possible.   And, why not, if we, young Europeans, may have our say to influence the decision-making process at the Union level, as the professional lobbyists do here in the Big Apple of Europe. We were excited and happy before the evening of November 13, when the events in Paris left a “wound” on all of us and the whole democratic world. That night our sleep was restless and for the first time in our lives, at the wake up, we were afraid of war at our door steps!

Europe: last chance? A European response to migration and terrorism

author: Tommaso Leso

Brussels, november 19 - After the terrorist attacks of November 13 in Paris, and even more so after the discovery of the ties between some of the terrorist and the capital of Belgium, the political agenda and the media events in Brussels has undergone major changes.

Les Journées de Bruxelles, the yearly event organised at the Palais des Beaux Arts by the Belgian newspaper OBS, with the collaboration of other major Belgian newspapers (Le Soir, De Standaard) and the patronage of the European Commission and the city of Brussels, went nonetheless on as planned on Wednesday 18 and Tuesday 19 November: the attacks in Paris, however, had a powerful effect on the discussions taking place during the panel devoted to the “migratory challenges” that Europe is facing right now.

The fervent address by Dimitris Avramopoulos, EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, reminded the audience that these terrorist attacks were carried out by European citizens, born and bred in Europe – they are the product of the forty-year long lack of effective policies of inclusion. As he pointed out, “they are our citizens, and our responsibility”. He also explained that it is precisely in dire times that we must preserve our values of humanity and solidarity, not falling to populism, to fear and prejudice, to divisions within our society: the European leadership must therefore grow stronger.

"All the necessary measures": the response of the UN to the ISIS attack.

author: Martina Lima
20.11.2015 - The recent terrorist attacks in Paris revealed the weakness of the Defence and Security policy at Union level and above all, the strong need for a joint action by all the Member States.

At international level, a few days ago, the Representatives of the Member Countries of the UN security Council gathered in the glass building of New York to debate and take decision on how to fight ISIS.

The Council, condemning the dramatic events in Paris, unanimously decided to permit to the Member Countries the use of "all the necessary measures to defeat the Muslim fundamentalism, including increased measures against the so called “foreign fighters”.

The Resolution was proposed by France, in this latest year, the most hitten country by terrorism. The French Ambassador, in submitting the topic, stated: “ The attack of ISIS, was an act of war against France, but the Islamic State did not attack only France, but all over the world”.

Noi, giovani europei, non abbiamo paura! Racconto di un impegno per l'Europa Unita.

Bruxelles, 21 novembre  -   Noi, giovani europei, non conoscevamo la guerra, almeno fino a questo tardo autunno che sa già di inverno. Oggi conosciamo una guerra diversa da quella studiata sui libri di storia, strategica, del terrore. Oggi al risveglio a Bruxelles, sotto i primi fiocchi di neve, abbiamo appreso che la città è controllata dalle forze dell'ordine, presidiata dall'esercito alla ricerca di Salah e dei suoi fiancheggiatori. Loro sono giovani come noi, hanno tra i 20 e i 30 anni, nati, educati! in Europa. I  media dicono che a Molenbeek continuano le perquisizioni nelle case, rastrellate una ad una e che è stato ritrovato un piccolo arsenale di armi, anche chimiche. Mentre leggiamo i comunicati dell'unità di crisi belga, vale la pena ricordare a noi stessi che siamo qui  "pour l'europe unie" e che non siamo affatto impauriti o scoraggiati. Partiti da diverse città europee, primo appuntamento il 12 novembre, per il training "Be  Ready 4 EU", organizzato dall'associazione Europe HOpes, 10 giovani europei vogliamo comprendere e comunicare l'Unione Europea ai suoi cittadini e scoprire se una integrazione tra diverse nazioni e sovranità è davvero possibile. E perché no, noi, questi giovani europei, vogliamo anche dire la nostra e influire sui processi decisionali a livello di Unione, come fanno i lobbisti di professione qui nella grande mela d'Europa.

ICTs and internet access as tools for development and social change

Author: Giulia Semeghini

The world has never been more connected than it is today. Indeed, through new technologies and the use of internet it is now possible to communicate with everyone at a global level in just few seconds, making appear our world very small. But this is not valid for everyone.

As recently stated by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) - the United Nations (UN) specialized agency for Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) – there are four billion people in the developing countries that are still unconnected because they have no internet access. Consequently, this data points out that more than a half of the world population is totally excluded from this interconnected world and that digital divide still remains a core issue to solve.

 

With the aim to discuss about this topic, on the 17^th of November 2015, a seminar was organized at the European Parliament (EP) by the Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Marietje Schaake on behalf of the Digital Agenda Intergroup, an informal network of MEP's, cross-party and cross-nationality interested in digital technologies and their role in bringing benefits to society. The seminar, entitled “Tech for change: ICT's, internet access and the post-2015 development agenda” and led by speakers from different organizations, initially was focused on the importance of making more efforts to improve the openness and accessibility of internet.

 

In this regard, Samia Melhem, as a Lead Policy Officer in the World Bank's Transport and ICT Global Practice, highlighted that ICTs can have an important role in supporting public sector transformation, innovation and in improving health and education services. Having the goal of ending extreme poverty and boosting a shared prosperity worldwide, the World Bank sees ICTs as a fundamental tool for transformation. Particularly, she emphasized the efforts made by her Institution to promote e-government, that consists in the use of digital technologies in public administration to foster public services and democratic processes. For this reason she underlined the necessity to promote broadband in every household and reduce disparities in digital access.

Towards a new dialogue with the Eastern Countries: security or human rights?

picture from mareeq.com

Author: Hanne Van De Ven

Brussels, november 17 - Forty years ago, when an iron curtain divided the world, the USA, Canada and the countries of Western Europe, and the states of the Communist bloc, signed the Helsinki Act. This Act was intended to improve the relations in the dialogue of economic cooperation, human rights and security. As opposed to the expectations, Europe currently faces a serious division in East and West again since Russia annexed Crimea. For this reason, the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) group of the European Parliament discussed a revision for the Helsinki Act during a conference on 17 November in Brussels.

Since the establishment of the Helsinki Act, the world has globalized increasingly through developments in internet and technology. As a result, countries have become more involved with each other, particularly in trade. While the European Union (EU) supports trade by opening the borders between the Member States of the Schengen zone, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan established the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) in 2015 for similar purposes.

Della Troika e della democrazia europea

Tanto si è parlato di Unione Europea e democrazia nelle ultime settimane. Il caso Grecia ha destato l'attenzione di tutti e ancora siamo con il naso alzato verso Bruxelles per cercare di comprendere se in questa Unione Europea ci sia qualcosa di buono o no.

Notizia dell'ultim'ora, sembra che gli ingranaggi del dialogo fra i Grandi d'Europa siano tornati a girare ( la mozione approvata nella notte tra venerdì 10 e sabato 11 luglio dal Parlamento greco sulle proposte di riforma è piaciuta all'UE) e i cittadini europei hanno ricominciato a interrogarsi sulle reali conseguenze di quanto è accaduto sul futuro dell'economia europea. 

Infatti, mentre stavamo quasi per comprendere cose fosse la Troika, si parla già di “Ex Troika” e di “Brussel Group". E di nuovo abbiamo ancora dubbi su chi, cosa e perché si mette in gioco il destino dell'eurozona e dell'Unione Europea.

Sembra che la Troika fosse (sia?) un mostro leggendario a tre teste, costituito da Fondo monetario internazionale (FMI), Banca centrale europea (BCE) e Commissione europea (CE) rappresentanti dai loro Presidenti, con il compito di formulare piani di salvataggio dei paesi all’interno della zona euro colpiti dalla crisi, fornendo assistenza finanziaria in cambio dell’istituzione di politiche di austerità. 

Adesso dicevamo, la Troika, già Ex, è chiamata più familiarmente “Brussels Group”. E gli attori si sono moltiplicati. Ora sembra (mi si lasci il beneficio del dubbio) che il Brussels Group sia composto oltre che dai membri sopra detti costituenti l'Ex Troika, anche da l'ESM (European Stability Mechanism, Meccanismo di stabilità europea, anche detto Fondo salva-stati) e dai rappresentanti del governo greco, alias Alexis Tsipras e il nuovo Ministro delle Finanze greco, Euclides Tsakalotos. Pare che a coniare il nome Brussels Group sia stato il Wall Stret Journal , per indicare gli attori seduti al tavolo dei negoziati a Bruxelles l'8 marzo 2015 all'inizio della “questione greca”.

Questo termine a dirla tutta si confonde non poco con il termine “Eurogruppo”, l'organo consultivo e centro di coordinamento che riunisce i 18 ministri dell'Economia e delle finanze degli Stati membri dell'area Euro. 

Insomma, quando noi cittadini iniziavamo a capire, non se n'è capito di nuovo nulla e sembra se vogliamo oggi realmente informarci e capire, prima di formulare giudizi parziali o avventati che si dovrà frequentare un corso di finanza avanzata. 

Dall'altra parte, se davvero si vuol spiegare al cittadino europeo cosa sta accadendo occorrerà compiere uno sforzo di semplificazione notevole, pena la caduta in comuni generalizzazioni e fraintendimenti e la vittoria incontrastata (e forse giusta?) dell'ars oratoria greca, che si sa, è nata proprio nel Peloponneso e di certo non ha rivali.

Al di là delle crisi terminologiche, ma senza voler entrare eccessivamente nel dettaglio, vogliamo rammentare come dal 2009 l'Unione Europea con il Trattato di Lisbona sia coinvolta in un processo di democraticizzazione in continuo crescendo. 

Si ricordano in questa sede due punti essenziali:

- che l'obiettivo della creazione e mantenimento del mercato interno è subordinato alla creazione di uno spazio di libertà, sicurezza e giustizia tra gli Stati Membri (e dunque l'euro non è più il solo e unico obiettivo dell'Ue!);

- che il ruolo del Parlamento Europeo è stato notevolmente rafforzato, considerato che è stato superato il suo ruolo meramente consultivo nel processo di approvazione delle leggi europee. Il Parlamento ha adesso pari poteri del Consiglio ed è pieno co-legislatore, nella maggior parte delle materie attribuite alla competenza dell'Ue dai Trattati. 

E' tuttavia vero che il deficit democratico resta in alcune materie essenziali: rimangono fuori dalla plenaria di Strasburgo la politica estera e di sicurezza comune e proprio la tanto discussa politica economica e monetaria.

In realtà, già da qualche mese, il PE scalcia, lamentando una mancanza di legittimazione democratica nelle decisioni sul futuro dell'economia europea. 

Una posizione ufficiale è stata affermata con la Risoluzione del 13 marzo 2014 relativa all'indagine sul ruolo e le attività della Troika, in cui il PE aveva espresso la sua preoccupazione sul ruolo non ben definito della BCE in seno a questa e sulla natura del suo processo decisionale. Si è detto per la prima volta e ufficialmente che il mandato della Troika è poco chiaro e carente sotto il profilo della trasparenza e del controllo democratico (leggi qui il documento versione integrale).

E questo è ormai evidente a tutti i cittadini europei, i cui occhi sono tuttavia offuscati  dai tecnicismi infiniti della burocrazia e della finanza più specialistica, che chiaramente continueranno ad esistere.

Questo tuttavia non può comportare un freno alla trasparenza e al processo di integrazione europea.

Il No del popolo greco ha acceso di nuovo i riflettori sulla questione e forse sarà questa la vera battaglia da vincere: non solo un piano salva Grecia, ma una svolta decisiva nel cammino verso una reale democrazia europea anche nelle decisioni che contano davvero.

G.A.

The EU Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). A space for oligarchic decisions?

by Ettore Togni

 

Different identities, visions and interests among the EU Member States emerge from the EU Foreign and Security policy. Can be argued that, this circumstance jeopardises the achievement of the specific political objectives by the EU.  

Indeed, today the European Union holds  appropriate juridical framework and political tools to coherently act and address European and international issues, as recognised by the Treaty of the European Union (TUE), Title V . However, despite the main institutional and political progresses, the Foreign Policy of the European Union is strongly undermined by two main factors that are mutually influenced.

First: under the current legal framework, the European Council - the highest decision-making body of the EU composed by the head of the state and government of the 28 member states -  requires unanimity when deciding on Common Security and Defence Policy. Thus, any country can exercise its veto and undermine a common action. In practice, usually happens that unanimity is more likely to be perceived if at least, the so called “Big Three” (UK, France and Germany)[1] are politically agree to promote foreign and security actions and can thus influence the other “minor” member states.  

The new Syriza-led government in Greece and its alliance struggles in the EU

by Davide Covelli

Picture from http://www.cgw.gr/

On 26 January 2015 Alexis Tsipras, leader of the major anti-austerity party coalition in Greece, assumed the lead of the Greek government. With his manifesto he sought to refuse explicitly and totally the general principles on which the entire political economy of the EU has been based until now. Tsipras’s victory speech, stating “the verdict of the Greek people annuls today in an indisputable fashion the bailout agreements of austerity and disaster”, provoked the German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble to immediately reply, highlighting that “there's no question of a debt haircut”. What clearly looms from this exchange of words is that there is an internal struggle within the EU,  exposing both ideological and national interests.

The European institutions are designed on the principle of balancing the different member states. The struggle for power in the EU has always been based on a concerted form of agenda setting and on a definition of the role of member states within a common institutional and normative framework. This framework is an achievement that was reached through the endorsement of multilateral treaties.

International Women's Day 2015. Empowering women and girls through education and mobilization.

by Sabrina Cocuzza 

Today, all the world celebrates the International Women’s Day, reminding the many achievements that women have sucessfully accomplished since 1995, when the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which represents the historic roadmap for women rights was signed by 189 governments.  Year by year, women's rights have been increasingly protected, but there is still much to do for accelerating this progress with a greater mobilization of the International Community. "When we unleash the power of women, we can secure the future for all," says UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in his message for International Women’s Day 2015. Although this statement, we are still compelled to recognize the gap that hold back any pushes to gender-equality. I think of girls used as weapons by violent extremists, subject to female genital mutilation, child marriage, exploitation and discriminatory social norms. Some of this facts are no far from the EU and western countries where too many girls and women of every racial, ethnic, gender, age and socioeconomic group are still targets of domestic abuses, sexual assault, stalking, discrimination.  Furthermore, in times of recession and greater unemployment, the violence is known to increase, especially when community shelters and government assistance programs have fewer resources. 

Why Mogherini was Not in Belarus: Powers and Weaknesses of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

by Angelo Amante

Image from www.neurope.eu

The absence of Mrs Mogherini at the Minsk summit on Ukraine did not pass unnoticed, reopening the debate on the role of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. In Belarus, Europe was not represented by Mogherini, but by Angela Merkel and François Hollande. This fact reveals that the Franco-German axis still dominates the EU’s geopolitical relations. Since the early 1950s, the balance of power between France and Germany constitutes the core of a united Europe. Politically speaking, therefore, the role of France and Germany in Minsk is far from unexpected.

From a legal point of view, however, the question is more complex. What follows underlines some problems with how the Lisbon Treaty delineates the figure of the High Representative. The Lisbon Treaty establishes that the High Representative shall preside the Foreign Affairs Council, leading the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The High Representative is also one of the Vice-Presidents of the Commission and functions as the head of the European External Action Service. In theory, the competences and powers of the High Representative are thus quite relevant. In practice, however, the particular policy field to which the responsibilities and activities of the European Foreign Affairs Minister are ascribed is rather abstract, posing a number of obstacles. 

A Digital Single Market and e(U)-Governance

by Fabienne Zwagemakers

From: ec.europa.eu

It is no surprise that the European Union’s digital agenda is a pivotal priority of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the European Commission under Jean-Claude Juncker.  The EU has gone digital and e-governance increasingly permeates EU governance. With ICT developments rapidly progressing and online consumerism taking over the internal market, e-governance seems unavoidable to boost economic growth and competitiveness in the EU. As part of a strategy towards enhanced economic growth, the main objectives of pursuing a fully-fledged digital single market encompass increased revenues, employment opportunities, and the realization of a knowledge-based society. Digital priorities moreover support the EU’s It endeavors to assert regional and global leadership.  

The EU’s single market ensures the free movement of goods, services, persons and capital. In a similar vein, the EU’s digital single market aims to ensure these four freedoms online. Paramount to a safe and smooth functioning of the digital single market are tailored regulations and directives, pertaining to especially fair competition, cyber safety, and consumer protection. In addition, the EU needs to invest in new mechanisms to strengthen the interoperability of online services, networks, data storage, and devices. However, adjacent to the apparent need for technological ingenuity, new standards, intelligence and pan-European internet access and digital literacy, there is one greater challenge the EU is bound to tackle: building trust among consumers, businesses and other actors moving around on the digital single market.  

European Union's secret receipt for a sustainable environment, public health and food safety

by Edoardo de Stefani

European Union's secret receipt for a sustainable environment, public health and food safety is simple enough to be replied at home. Indeed, citizens are the most important ingredients for the success of the "circular economy". 

On 29 January 2015 the European Parliament (EP) acknowledged the need to include citizens in the policy making process for exploiting the benefits of the "circular economy", through the technology of social innovation. What is really necessary in Europe, as mentioned at the conference, is to change mentality and to make use of all our assets, including the young generation and the Erasmus one: “Young people are said to be less politicized, but at least they maintain a strong idealistic push that can sustain Europe as a symbol for everyone". 

Though, civic engagement is not only about idealism or an institutional practice to increase the social acceptance of EU. People can contribute to the correct functioning of the delicate clockwork, for instance by participating at the design of those projects that aim at delivering community services. The general idea is that established decision-making structures can be sustained in policy formation and projects implementation by active networks of civic stakeholders.